Photographic projection printing mechanism



April 15, 1952 p, s PIRMOV 2,592,735

PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTION PRINTING MECHANISM lNvENToR PA 0L ifm/vor ATTORNEYS April 15, 1952 p, s, PIRMOV 2,592,735

PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTION PRINTING MECHANISM Filed NOV. l, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheei 2 iin-Iniim g,

3 *P10 NvENToR ATTORNEYS April 15, 1952 P. s. PIRMOV 2,592,735

PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTION PRINTING MECHANISNI Filed Nov. l, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Imp. 4.

ATTORNEYS April 15, 1952 P. s. PIRMov PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTION PRINTING MECHANISM Filed NOV. l, 1949 INVENTOR PAUL iP/@Mov BY w' 47M@ ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 17952 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTION PRINTING MECHANISM Paul S. Pirmov, Shelburne, Mass.

Application November 1, 1949, Serial No. 124,885

(c1. rss-24) a strip of sensitized photographic paper, the

print severed from the strip, and the strip automatically advanced in an improved manner a predetermined distance corresponding to the dimensions of the negative from which the next print is to be made, together with means for automatically actuating the several elements of the machine at the same time that a selective timing of the exposure is afforded the operator.

Other and further objects residing in the details of the structure and their arrangement will be made apparent in the following specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a projection printer embodying the invention:

Fig. l is a front elevational view;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the paper feeding and cutting members;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a section substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail View with parts broken away showing the operating mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the drive;

Fig. 8 is a detail of one of the switches and its actuating cam;

Fig. 9 is a detail of knife actuation solenoid mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view substantially on line IIJ--III of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 11 is a wiring diagram.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Fig. 1, the device is shown as comprising a base I which supports standards or posts 2 upon which table members 3 and 4 are mounted in spaced relation. The lower table 4 carries projection apparatus and lens Ysystem all generally indicated at 5 by which the image from the negative to be printed is projected on sensitized paper presented on the upper table 3, as later more fully described.

The specific construction of the elements of the projection device do not form a part of the present invention, and a detailed description of their structure is not believed necessary, except where rubber surface of the feed roll by means of an 2 as later pointed out their structure has been modified or added to for the purposes of the invention. They include a projection lamp 6, a pilot light 'I (Fig. 11), a plurality of lens focus adjustments 8, and a shutter 9.

The upper table 3 carries at one end a bracket I0, which supports a reel or roll I| of sensitized photographic paper I2. Bracket I0 also supports a gravity actuated, pivoted guide roll I3 and a spring actuated, pivoted guide lroll I 4 which maintain tension equalizing loops in the web and direct the web to the automatic feeding device.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the feeding mechanism includes a guide roll I5 and a driven feed roll generally indicated at I6. Roll I6 comprises a hollow cylindrical member II having an integral side flange member I8 and a removable flange member I9 between which are secured an annulairubber member 20 which forms the feeding surface of the roll. The roll is rotatably mounted on a shaft 2| by way of roller bearings 22. Fixed to the iianges I8 and I9 are fine toothed ratchets 23 secured thereto in any suitable manner as by screws 24. Secured to the shaft 2| outwardly of the ratchets 23, as by screws 25, are collars 26 carrying spring pressed, pivoted pawls 2l which respectively engage the ratchets 23. The ratchets and pawls are preferably so positioned with respect to each other that one of the pawls is in full driving engagement with its ratchet when the other pawl is in neutral position, which arrangement together with the fineness of the spacing of the ratchet teeth assures a minimum of lost motion in the start of the feeding movement of the roll. Counterclockwise ro- 'tation of the shaft 2|, as viewed in Fig. 5, by

means later described, moves the pawls into driving engagement with their ratchets and causes counterclockwise rotation of the roll as viewed in the latter gure to thereby advance the leading end of the paper web I2 across the table and over and beyond a xed cutting blade 28. A rotary cutter blade 29, as later described, cooperates with the fixed blade 28 to sever the projecting portion of the web.

The web is pressed against the feed roll I6 by an adjustable pressure roll 30, carried by a bracket 3| pivoted at 32 to the underside of the table 3. The roll 3U, which is preferably hard surfaced, is pressed into engagement with the adjustable nut 33 threaded on a stud 34 which passes through an opening 35 in the bracket 3|. An annular rubber member 36 positioned between the nut 32 and the bracket 3|, controls the pres- 3 sure with which the roll 30 is forced against the rubber surface of the feeding roll.

The table 3 is provided with an opening 3'! through which the sensitized surface of the web is exposed to the image projected through the opening by the projection mechanism on the lower table 4.

Positioned over the opening and above the web passing thereover is a printing device generally indicated at 38, and mounted on a base member 39 pivoted to the surface of the table at one side of the opening 31 as at 43. The base 39 carries a plate M mounted on pins '42 and urged downwardly against the upper surface of the web by springs 43. The plate di is formed with an opening @il through which a conventional number printing device 45, carried by `member 39, is automatically brought into engagement with the upper surface of the paper by means of a solenoid 4B. The rear portion of plate 4l is preferably bent upwardly as at d1 to form a guard for roll i6. The printing mechanism and its solenoid are enclosed in a casing 48. The casing 48 is formed with an opening 49 through which extends a manually operable lever 50 by means of which the number presented by the number printing means may be changed. As later described, solenoid 4S may be manually operated by a momentary switch 5l. The rotary cutter blade 29 is carried by a shaft 52 mounted in bearings 53 supported by the table 3 and is operated by a solenoid Eli, the armature 55 of which is connected by a flexible chain 5G to one end of a lever 51 secured to the shaft 52, the opposite end of the lever 51 being provided with a Vcounterweight as at 53. The shaft 52 is provided with a handle 59 by which the cutter may be manually operated if desired.

For reasons later explained, the table 3 is made adjustable on the posts 2, predetermined positions of adjustment being determined by spaced openings Si) in the posts adaptedto receive a movable pin 8|. Set screw 62 clamps the table in adjusted position. For ease in making the adjustment, the weight of the table is counterweighted by a tension spring 63 conveniently placed in one of the posts 2 vand connected to the table by a cable 63 passing over a pulley 6d.

Shaft 2l is driven from a vertical, oscillating shaft 65 which is provided on its upper end with a bevel gear BS which meshes with a bevelgear 61 lsecured to one end of shaft 2i. The shaft 65 is formed in four sections, an upper section B8 to the upper end of which gear 66 is secured, the lower end of section 68 being connected by a collar 6g and set screws 1D to the upper end of a flexible section 1l. rIhe lower end of the flexible section 1i is connected as by set screw 12 to the upper end of a tubular section 13. The inner surface of tube 13 is square in cross section and slidably engages over a squared upper portion of a lower shaft section 1.5 which is journaled in ball Vbearings 16 and is provided intermediate said bearings with a small bevel gear 11. Gear 11 meshes with a large bevel gear 18 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 19 and provided with a forked crank member 8B. A pedal 8l pivoted Vbetween the bases of post members 2 at 83 carries an arm 84 provided .at its upper end with a pin or roller .85 which engages in the fork of crank member Sli. As will be apparent in Fig. 6, movement of the pedal in the direction of the arrow in the latter figure will rotate shaft 2l in a `counterclockwise direction, which rotation imparts no movement to feed roll I6 because of the idle movements of the pawls at 21 over the ratchets 23.

The downward movement of the pedal 8l is limited bj'f the engagement of a stop pin 86, secured by means of set screw 81 in a hub 86 pinned to the end of shaft 2l, with an adjustable stop member 89 carried at the outer end of a headed Vcarriage bolt 90 slidable in a relatively short slot 9| formed in a vertical plate member 92 iixed to the table@ by screws 93. Bolt 93 is held in adjusted position in slot 9i by a nut Se threaded on the bolt between the stop member 89 and the face of plate 92.

Upon the reverse movement of pedal 8l gear 18 is driven in the opposite direction, thereby rotating shaft 2 i .in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig` .5, and, through the pawls and ratchets 21 and 23, drives roll I6 to advance the web of paper over table 3 and opening 31 as previously described. The extent of the rotation of roll I6 V'and therefore the length of paper fed forward during the upward movement of theV pedal is determined by the engagement of stop pin 86 with an adjustable stop member S5 carried by the outer end of a headed carriage bolt 35, slidable in an arcuate slot 91 formed in the plate 92.

Mounted on the bolt 3S adjacent the face of plate S2 is an indicating member 93 having a radially extending portion 99 provided with an indicating slot IBB. Bolt `96, together with the stop member S5 and the indicating member 93, are adapted to be held in adjusted position in the slot 91 by a nut lill threaded on the bolt between the stop and indicating members. For easy setting and loosening ofthe nut I0! the latter is provided with a radially extending arm or handle 82. The plate member 32 is provided with a plurality of graduations |03 adapted to be visually located in the slot |00 to indicate 'the length of paper which will be fed forward by roll I6 as the stoppin travels between the stop member 89 and stop member 95 upon the upward movement of the pedal. The appropriate measurement in inches is shown on the vertical plate at wt in association with each of the graduations N33.

The various gear ratios are such that the maxi- `mum oscillatory movement of shaft 65 is less than a complete rotation,

The initial non-paper-eeding oscillation 0i shaft 85 upon downward movement of the pedal lV employ for the automatic operation of the numbering, cutting, .and projection printing operations ofthe machine. Secured to the section i5 of shaft 65 is a cam E05 adapted shortly after the initiation of downward movement of pedal 8l to engage one end of an arm |36 pivoted at U31, the other end of arm 106 being thereby moved into engagement with a spring ESB which closes a switch H39. Aspring il!) normally holds the arm iii in position for engagement with switch operating spring |08 while permitting the cam to swing the arm out of the way in its reverse movement without again acl tuating .the switch.

As shown in'Fig. 1l, switch 69 closesthe circuit to solenoid 't5 causing the latter through itsV connection IH to an arm H2 (Fig. 10') to causeV actuate the cutter blade 29. Preferably a manually operated momentary switch 5i is placed in the circuit to enable the operator to actuate the printing means independently of the cutter and at any point during the operation of the machine.

The pedal 8| is provided with an arm I I4 to which is connected the lower end of a rod H5, the upper end of which is connected to a lever H8 carrying a mercury switch H8 which controls the circuit to the projection lamp 8. The

angularity of the mercury switch is such that the circuit to the projection lamp is not closed until the pedal approximates the end of its motion and until after the cutting and printing devices have been actuated by the cam |05. The lever H6 simultaneously with or shortly after the initiation of its movement engages a rocker arm H9 connected to the shutter 9 to swing the latter out of the path of the projected beam of the lamp. The mercury switch H8 maintains the circuit of the projection lamp closed as long as the pedal 8i remains in its lowermost position, thus permitting the operator control of the duration of the exposure. The pilot light 1 is so positioned as to illuminate the negative sufficiently to permit the operator to judge the character of the negative and time the exposure accordingly. The pilot lamp 1 as shown in Fig. 11 burns constantly or as long as the master control switch 129 is closed. The lamp 'i is of insufficient power to affect exposure of the sensitized paper.

Typical operation of the device is as follows: Assuming the paper to be threaded through the device, the operator provided with a set of negatives sets the lens system to the proper adjustment 8 for the size of the negative and raises or lowers the table 3 to the level of the proper opening E!) to correspond. He then takes the envelope which is to receive the completed prints with their negatives, lifts the printing mechanisrn on its pivot, inserts the envelope thereunder and operates the printing device by means of the manual switch 5l thereby applying to the envelope the same number that is to subsequently be automatically printed on each print of that particular order. As shown in Fig. 3, the plate 92 is provided with a slot [2l to accommodate the passage of envelopes of greater width than the base 39.

He then places one of the negatives in position and actuates pedal 8l thereby driving shaft 65 through the limit of its oscillatory movement in one direction. In the course of this oscillatory movement as previously described, cam |05 actuates the printer to apply an order identifying number to the rear of the portion of the Web about to be exposed and also actuates the cutter to sever the previously printed portion of the web, if any, which projects beyond the knife 28. Towards the end of the oscillatory movement on the shaft in that direction, lamp 6 and shutter 9 are actuated as above described to project the image of the negative onto the leading portion of the web and this exposure is continued in accordance with the judgment of the operator until a proper exposure has been made. During the entire movement of the shaft in its initial direction the feeding roll I5 has remained inoperative, the pawls 2l sliding idly over the ratchets 23.

At the termination of the exposure the operator reverses the direction of movement of pedal 8| thereby opening the circuit to lamp 6, terminating the exposure and initiating the feeding movement of roll IG which, through the action of pawls 2l and ratchets 23, is driven throughout the complete oscillatory movement of shaft 65 in the opposite direction, this feeding movement being terminated by the engagement of pin with stop member 95 where it has been previously adjusted, as above described, to the size of the print desired. Following the exposure and projection beyond the knife of the last print of a given order, the operator may actuate the cutter manually by means of handle 59, permitting the prints and negatives of the given order to be placed in the previously numbered envelope before another group of negatives is printed. The last print may be left projecting to be automatically severed in the next cycle of operation of the machine if preferred.

What I claim is:

In an automatic photographic printing device having means including a lamp for projecting an image from a photographic negative, a table member adjustably spaced from said projection means and adapted to support the leading end portion of a web of sensitized paper, an opening in the table through which the sensitized surface of a part at least of said portion of the web is exposed to said image, a roll to feed the web over the table, solenoid actuated means to stamp an order identifying number on the reverse side of the portion of the web exposed through said opening, solenoid actuated cutting means to sever the fed portion of the web, a common switch controlling said solenoids, an oscillatory shaft, means to oscillate said shaft, a cam carried by said shaft positioned to actuate said solenoid control switch during the initial movement of said shaft in one direction, means connected to said shaft oscillating means to actuate the projection lamp control switch during the terminal portion of the movement of said shaft in the same direction and at the termination of said movement, and one-way driving means connecting said shaft to said web feeding roll, to drive the latter throughout the movement of the shaft in the opposite direction, and adjustable means to terminate the movement of said shaft in the last-named direction.

PAUL S. PIRMOV.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,704,794 Fritts Mar. 12, 1929 1,754,890 Hersberg Apr. l5, 1930 1,808,118 Peterson June 2, 1931 1,818,462 Caps Aug. 11, 1931 1,933,788 Case Nov. 7, 1933 2,335,189 Mayer Nov. 23, 1943 

